Shim-holding device for car trucks



May 6, 1930- P. J. MccULLouGH 1,757,937

SHIM HOLDING DEVICE FOR CAR TRUCKS Filed March 6, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l /N VEA/Tof?- PA uz, J /k/CCULLOUGH Y www May 5, 1930- P. J. MccuLLouGH 1,757,937

SHIM HOLDING DEVICE FOR CAR TRUCKS Filed March 6, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 QTTOEA/f/Ks.

'Patented May 6, `1,93()

UNITED .STATES PATENT oFFicE PAUL J. MCCULLOUGAH, OF ST. IiOUIS, MISSOURI, ASVSIGNOE TO SCULLIN STEELl COM'.- PANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE Smm-HOLDING DEVICE Fon CAP. TRUCKS Application mea March 6,

This invention relates to car trucks, and particularly to the means used in such structures for maintaining the bolster supporting springs in proper relationship with the '.5 bolster and spring plank.

.It is the usual custom in railway car trucks to arrange spring plates between the underside of the bolster and the upper ends of the bolster supporting springs, and between the lower ends of said springs and the spring plank, and provide said spring plates with projections that co-act with the springs and with the bolster and spring plank to maintain the springs in longitudinal alignment with the bolster and spring plank. Generally the spring plates are provided with projections that fit in the coils of the springs or in the spaces between adjacent coils so as to prevent relative movement between the springs and the spring plates, and lateral movement or relative movement between the spring plates and the bolster and spring plank is prevented by protuberances, spurs or other relatively short projections on the spring plates that fit inrecesses in the underside of the bolster and in the top face of the spring plank. In instances where lateral motion devices are used to provide for a slight endwise movement of the bolster, or movement of the bolster transversely of the truck, said lateral motion devices are provided on their underside with recesses for receiving the protuberances, spurs or projections on the top spring plate.

A holding means of the character described is perfectly satisfactory for maintaining longitudinal alignment of the springs, bolster and spring plank, so long as the spring plates remain in direct contact with the bolster and spring plank, butwh'en it becomes necessary to arrange shims of Wood or metal between the bolster and top spring plate, or between the spring plank and the bottom spring plate, las* is frequently the case, the protuberances, spurs or projections on the spring plates are rendered useless, due to the fact that the shims prevent them from entering the recesses in the part that is arranged in opposed relation to the plate which carries said projections. The resultis that the bol- -ieaa serial No. 344,638.l

sier supporting springs are apt to shift out of alignment or move accidentally into an incorrect position with relation to the parts with which they co-operate, due to the fact that the projections or protuberanceson thethough shims have been inserted to raise the bolster.

Another object is to provide a holding means or an aligning means for bolster supporting springs, which is of such construction that when a shim is combined with same said shim will serve as a key that effectively prevents relative movement between tlie two parts between which the shim is interposed.

And still another object is to provide'a'car truck in which the bolster or spring plank is equipped with a shim holding means that is housed in the spring plate which contacts with the element that carries said means when no shim is used, and which is so constructed that it will engage and securely hold a shim that is interposed between said spring plate and element.

I have herein illustrated my invention embodied in a structure that is designed so as to permit shims to be arranged between the bolster and the upper ends of the bolster supporting springs, but I wishlit to be understood that my invention is applicable to a structure designed so as to permit shims to be arranged between the spring plank and the lower ends of the bolster supporting springs, or between the springs and lateral motion devices that provide for endwise movement of the bolster. y

Figure 1 of the drawings is a perspective view of a shim adapted for use iii a car truck embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view, taken transversely through the bolster and spring plank, showin g the bolster, springs and spring plank arranged in operative relationship.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of one of the top spring plates; and

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse sectlonal view, showing the co-operating parts of the structure disassembled or spacedapart so as to more clearly illustrate how said parts coact with each other.

Referring to Figure 2 of the drawings, .A designates one of the side frames of a railway car truck, B designates the bolster` of the truck, C designates the transversely-disposed spring plank, whose outer ends are attached to the side frames of the truck, and D designates the springs which are interposed between the spring plank and the bolster to sustain the load on the bolster, it being of course understood that the truck is equipped with two clusters of springs D arranged at the opposite ends of the bolster. A top sprlng plate E and a bottom spring plate F are combined with each cluster of springs D, and said spring plates are provided with projections 1, preferably of tubular form, that enter coils of the springs or spaces between adjacent coils so as to prevent the spring plates from shifting or moving laterally relatively. to the springs. The bottom spring plate F 1s prevented from shifting or moving accidentally relatively to the spring plank C by depending projections 2 on said spring plate that fit 1n holes 3 in the spring plank. Similar projections 4 are formed on the top spring plate E, so that when said top spring plate is in direct contact with the bolster B, the projections 4 will enter holes 5 in the underside of the bolster, and thus prevent the top spring plate E from shifting or moving accidentally relatively to the bolster. Accordingly, when no shims are used, the depending projections 2 on the bottom spring plate F and the upwardly-extending projections 4 on the top spring plate E will co-act with the spring plank C and with the bolster B, respectively, to effective-ly hold the springs D in longitudinal alignment with the bolster and spring plank.

In order that a shim or shims may be combined with the structure to raise the bolster without liability of the bolster B moving accidentally relatively to the top spring plate E, I have equipped the bolster with a shim holding means which is of such construction that When a shim Gr is interposed between the bolster and the top spring plate E, said shim will practically act as a key to interlock the top spring plate E with the bolster, and thus effectively prevent relative movement between said parts. In the form of my invention herein illustrated said shim holding means consists of a pair of depending lugs 6 on the underside of the bolster B, so proportioned and arranged that when no shim is used in the structure, said lugs 6 will be frelatively to the bolster, and the upwardlyextending projections 4 on the spring plate E co-act with said shim to prevent relative movement between the shim and the spring plate E. The particular type or kind of,

shim that is used is immaterial, so far as my broad idea is concerned, so long as the shim is of such a nature or of such construction that it is capable of co-acting with the holding devices 4 on the top spring plate E and with the holding devices 6 on the bolster B to transmit movement from the bolster B to the top spring plate E, and vice versa. I prefer, however, to use a shim G that conforms in outline to the top spring plate E and which is provided with two holes 4 for receiving the projections 4 on the top spring plate E and provided with two holes 6a for receiving the depending lugs 6 on the underside of the bolster B.

From the foregoing it will be understood that in a car truck of the construction above described the upwardly-extending projections 4 on the top spring plate E that are located in the holes 5 in the underside of the bolster and the depending projections on the bolster which are located "in holes in the top spring plate when no shim is used, effectively prevent relative movement between the top spring plate and the bolster, and when a shim G is interposed between the top spring plate E and the bolster, the depending lugs 6 on the bolster come into Service to interlock the bolster with the shim G, which is interlocked with the top plate E by the projections 4 on said top plate that are positioned in the holes 4a of the shim. Y

In instances where the bolster is equipped with lateral motion devices, said devices will be provided on their underside with holes and projections similar to the holes 5 and projections 6, shown in Figures 2 and 4. Also that in instances where the structure is designed to permit shims to be interposed between the spring plank and the bottom spring plates, the spring plank will be provided with upwardly-extending projections similar to the depending lugs or projections 6 on the underside of the bolster.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a railway car truck, the combination of two opposed parts that are adapted to contact with each other or to be held in spaced relation by an interposed shim, a means on one of said parts that serves as a holding device for the other part or for the shim, and a separate means on the other part which serves as a holding device for said shim when said parts are separated.

2. In a ear truck, the combination of bolster supporting springs, a plate arranged at one end of said springs, a part arranged in opposed relation to said spring plate, a projection on said plate that servesas a holding device for said part or for a shim interposed between said part and plate, and an independent projection on said part that is adapted to act as a holding device for a shim to prevent the shim from moving laterally relatively to said part.

3. In a car truck, the combination of bolster supporting springs, a spring plate arranged at one end of said springs, a part arranged in opposed relation to said spring plate, projections on the meeting faces of said spring plate and part arranged out of alignment with each other, and a removable shim between said part and spring plate providedwith holes for receiving said projections,

4. In a railway car truck, the combination of bolster supporting springs, a spring plate arranged at one end of said springs, a. part arranged in opposed relation to said spring plate, projections on said spring plate that are adapted to enter holes in said part when said part and spring plate are in contact with each other, independent projections on said part that are adapted to enter holes in the spring plate when said part and spring plate contact with each other,`and a removable shim adapted to be positioned between said part and spring plate and provided with holes 'for receiving said projections.

5. In a railway car truck, the combination of a bolster, supporting springs for said bolster, a spring plate mounted on said springs and interlocked with the saine. co-

acting means on said spring plate and bolster for preventing relative movement between the same when said bolster contacts with said f spring plate, and a shim holding means on ,said bolster that is adapted to co-aet with a shim interposed between the bolster and spring plate to prevent relative movement between the bolster and spring plate.

PAUL J. MCCULLOUGH. 

